Roncesvalles to Burgos Time Needed

[StFina]

I will be walking the Camino Primitivo in May of 2017. Once completed, I will be walking from Roncesvalles to Burgos. Convoluted, but I already walked the Burgos/Santiago route three times. I have two questions:

1. Can I complete the Roncesvalles to Burgos walk in 12 days? According to Godesalco, it is 267 kilometers. I am in very good shape and walk/bike daily. I am just uncertain of the terrain.

2. Is there any easy way to get from Santiago to Roncesvalles? Bus is close to 8 hours with a stopover in Pamplona, and no direct flights to Pamplona either. Any other recommendations?

Steve

 

[Bradypus]

1. Can I complete the Roncesvalles to Burgos walk in 12 days? According to Godesalco, it is 267 kilometers. I am in very good shape and walk/bike daily. I am just uncertain of the terrain.

I can't comment on the transport to Roncesvalles question. Provided you are ready for a few longish days I see no reason why you couldn't make it to Burgos easily in 12 days. I am an overweight 54 year old sedentary man who takes no regular exercise other than my occasional long-distance walks. In September 2016 I walked from Roncesvalles to Burgos in 8 days. There are a few hills along the way but they are very modest in comparison with the crossing from St Jean to Roncesvalles, the climb to/from the Cruz de Ferro, or the hills around O Cebreiro which you have already experienced.

 

[StFina]

Wow. According to Godesalco, it is 267 kilometers from Roncesvalles to Burgos. Were you walking 30+ kilometers each day??

 

[MTtoCamino]

At a nice easy pace it took 13 days

 

[Bradypus]

Wow. According to Godesalco, it is 267 kilometers from Roncesvalles to Burgos. Were you walking 30+ kilometers each day??

I didn't make a note of daily distances. Some were quite long, a few quite short. Overall I took 28 days from St Jean to Santiago so my average would have been a little under 30km per day. More or less what I would expect when walking a long-distance route with a light pack mostly over easy terrain.

 

[Tincatinker]

According to St John Brierley Roncesvalles to Burgos should be undertaken in 11 days. This allows for some rose sniffing and a diversion to Eunate. Your challenge will indeed be getting to Roncesvalles by public transport. You could try some exotics such as flight to Bilbao / Santander / Biarritz and further convoluted train / bus combinations https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Santiago-de-Compostela/Roncesvalles-Navarre-Spain has a few suggestions. Anywhichway you go you are going to spend a day at it.

Happy planning

 

[Bradypus]

According to St John Brierley Roncesvalles to Burgos should be undertaken in 11 days.

Must be true then. I got a very odd stare from one woman when she discovered (a) I was not carrying the Gospel according to St John B and (b) I intended to pass right through Brierley's mandated night stop and kip elsewhere. She then asked me - apparently quite seriously - "Oh. Are you allowed to do that?"

 

[wayfarer]

It took me 12 days in 2012. Some long, some short.
Buen Camino.

 

[Tincatinker]

Just dug out my diary from 2012 - I did it in semi-gospel style, 11 days via Valcarlos but not always in the designated stations . @wayfarer were we on the road at the same time? I left StJ on the 29th March.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

It took me 11 day's .
A friend of me took a plain to Pamplona and from there a taxi to Roncesvalles.
This was two years ago.
Wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[wayfarer]

Just dug out my diary from 2012 - I did it in semi-gospel style, 11 days via Valcarlos but not always in the designated stations . @wayfarer were we on the road at the same time? I left StJ on the 29th March.

I left on 19th April also via Valcarlos. You were well ahead of me.

 

[WildPlace]

I took 14 days Roncesvalles to Burgos but that includes a rest day in Pamplona, so 13 days - and i'm getting on in years (mid to late 50s) I walk at a very leisurely pace not much liking more than 20 to 25km a day. So yes, totally do-able if you're fit and able sorry can't help with the transport options... Buen camino!

 

[Bradypus]

I will be walking the Camino Primitivo in May of 2017. Once completed, I will be walking from Roncesvalles to Burgos. Convoluted, but I already walked the Burgos/Santiago route three times.

I walked the Camino Frances 20+ years before I decided to walk from Wales to St Jean Pied de Port. Some people might think that was back to front. Your plans sound perfectly straightforward to me

 

[Deleted member 12253]

I will be walking the Camino Primitivo in May of 2017. Once completed, I will be walking from Roncesvalles to Burgos. Convoluted, but I already walked the Burgos/Santiago route three times. I have two questions:

1. Can I complete the Roncesvalles to Burgos walk in 12 days? According to Godesalco, it is 267 kilometers. I am in very good shape and walk/bike daily. I am just uncertain of the terrain.

2. Is there any easy way to get from Santiago to Roncesvalles? Bus is close to 8 hours with a stopover in Pamplona, and no direct flights to Pamplona either. Any other recommendations?

Steve

9/10 days no problem. I walked sjpdep in late October from sjpde to Burgos in 10 days . 8 hour bus reasonable from Santiago. Buen camino

 

[QuailHiker]

11 days this past April/May. No super long days; very manageable. 65 year-old male when I walked.

 

[jmcarp]

My wife and I (68 and 69 y.o. at the time) took 14 days to get from Roncesvalles to Burgos while walking at what might be called a leisurely pace. We probably could have made it in 12 days if we pushed ourselves a little harder, but in the long run, we found our average of roughly 20 km/day from SJPP to Santiago was about right for us.

 

[NualaOC]

Hi Steve, I can't help with your travel arrangements. I imagine that they will be quite tricky!

Re. your question about walking to Burgos: You mentioned that you are fit and that you walk/cycle daily. You'll be even fitter after walking the Camino Primitivo, so you're likely to be able to walk from Roncesvalles (or indeed St Jean Pied de Port) in 12 days or fewer. Overall, the terrain will be easier (and busier) than the Primitivo.

Is there a reason why you are walking the Primitivo first? Travelling to Oviedo from Burgos would be a lot simpler than getting to Roncesvalles from Santiago!

Buen Camino and happy planning!

 

[wayfarer]

It took me 12 days in 2012. Some long, some short.
Buen Camino.

Sorry, misread the question, it took me 11 days, 12 from St Jean.

 

[whariwharangi]

2. Is there any easy way to get from Santiago to Roncesvalles? Bus is close to 8 hours with a stopover in Pamplona, and no direct flights to Pamplona either. Any other recommendations?

3 suggestions:

1. Fly Santiago to Bilbao. Take PESA bus from Bilbao Loiu Airport to Donostia/San Sebastian. Take ALSA (CONDA) bus from San Sebastian to Pamplona.

2. Take Renfe train from Santiago to Pamplona. You might have a better schedule if you take the train to San Sebastian and take the bus from there to Pamplona. The San Sebastian bus station and Renfe station are co-located.

3. Take flight from Santiago to Madrid, then Madrid to Pamplona.

Autocares Artieda operates urban bus service from Pamplona bus station to Roncesvalles. (except Sunday). There are no other public transportation options. You could take a taxi.

You could take ALSA (CONDA) bus from Pamplona to Valcarlos and start walking there. ALSA passes through Roncesvalles enroute to SJPdP but may not deliver (does not have a license) passengers there.

Aena Santiago
http://www.aena.es/en/santiago-airport/index.html

Aena Bilbao
http://www.aena.es/en/bilbao-airport/index.html

Pamplona bus station
http://www.estaciondeautobusesdepamplona.com/Inicio.aspx.html

 

[rometimed]

I will be walking the Camino Primitivo in May of 2017. Once completed, I will be walking from Roncesvalles to Burgos. Convoluted, but I already walked the Burgos/Santiago route three times. I have two questions:

1. Can I complete the Roncesvalles to Burgos walk in 12 days? According to Godesalco, it is 267 kilometers. I am in very good shape and walk/bike daily. I am just uncertain of the terrain.

2. Is there any easy way to get from Santiago to Roncesvalles? Bus is close to 8 hours with a stopover in Pamplona, and no direct flights to Pamplona either. Any other recommendations?

Steve

1. I walked from Roncesvalles to Burgos in 11 days with one of those being a day off in Logrono because I was waiting for others to catch up. That did include one VERY long day from Puente la Reina to Los Arcos though which i'd recommend breaking into 2 days. But ya 12 days seems easily doable if you're familiar with the Camino.

For those wondering here are the days:

Day 1: Roncesvalles to Larrasona (34 KMs)
Day 2: Larrasona to Pamplona (24 Kms)
Day 3: Pamplona to Puente la Reina (32 KMs)
Day 4: Puente la Reina to Los Arcos (51 KMs)
Day 5: Los Arcos to Logrono (33 KMs)
Day 6: Day off in Logrono
Day 7: Logrono to Najera (33 KMs)
Day 8: Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada (30 KMs)
Day 9: Santo Domingo to Belorado (25 KMs)
Day 10: Belorado to Ages (28 KMs)
Day 11: Ages to Burgos (29 Kms)

These distances are the totals on my tachometer from each day so do not represent the actual distance between each.

2. Wouldn't it be easier to go to Pamplona then go to Roncesvalles? Others who have started in Roncesvalles bus from Madrid to Pamplona then to Roncesvalles.

 

[rometimed]

Must be true then. I got a very odd stare from one woman when she discovered (a) I was not carrying the Gospel according to St John B and (b) I intended to pass right through Brierley's mandated night stop and kip elsewhere. She then asked me - apparently quite seriously - "Oh. Are you allowed to do that?"

That's all fun and games until you try to skip ahead to Villamayor de Monjardin only to find out the 3 albergues in town are full and you have to keep walking to Los Arcos another 13 KMs or so away after doing about 35 KMs already.

 

[Bradypus]

@rometimed I'm sorry that you could not find accommodation in the place you would have chosen. I am not quite clear of the point you are making though. Are you suggesting that by strictly following Brierley's itinerary pilgrims are guaranteed to find accommodation? It is probably true that by stopping only in larger towns accommodation is in greater supply. I am happy to balance that risk against the freedom to choose my own stages and experience more of the smaller towns and villages.

PS. Just saw your stages above. Looks as if we walk quite similar daily distances. I've walked the odd 50+km day too. Sometimes the walking is just so good I don't want to stop. Nice to be able to choose where and when rather than have it forced on you though.

 

[tomnorth]

I will be walking the Camino Primitivo in May of 2017. Once completed, I will be walking from Roncesvalles to Burgos. Convoluted, but I already walked the Burgos/Santiago route three times. I have two questions:

1. Can I complete the Roncesvalles to Burgos walk in 12 days? According to Godesalco, it is 267 kilometers. I am in very good shape and walk/bike daily. I am just uncertain of the terrain.

2. Is there any easy way to get from Santiago to Roncesvalles? Bus is close to 8 hours with a stopover in Pamplona, and no direct flights to Pamplona either. Any other recommendations?

Steve

It took me 10 days in the fall of 2015. If you are in decent shape I should think that 12 days is more than doable.

 

[Steve Goods]

Last oktober, went the very same stretch, Roncevalles to Burgos, took me 11 1/2 days.
Just plan your stops ahead every day and you be alright.

 

[Lance Chambers]

Buses:

Pamplona to Roncesvalles

https://www.google.com.au/search?no.....0i131k1j0i131i10k1j0i22i10i30k1.ggIHfs6Wo9A